Hydrocarbon motor



Sept. 2, f 24. 15073109 L. M. WOOLSON HYDROCARBON MOTOR Filed Dec. 171919 Patented Septz, ,1924;

1,507,409 PATENT OFFICE.

LIONEL M. WOOLSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD KOTOR GARCOMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

HYDROCARBON MOTOR.

I Application led December 17, 1919. Serial No. 345,588.

provements in Hydrocarbon Motors, of'

' uwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydrocarbon' motors and more particularly tospark plugs for igniting a charge of combustible mixture. 1 )Y Sparkplugs are ordinarily used in hydrocarbon motors to ignite a charge undercompression in the combustion space in the motor cylinder. For thispurpose theelec trodes are adjustably mounted and are usuallysetsomething less than one sixteenth of an inch apart and in order toinsure the proper setting it is customary to include, in 2o the toolkit, a gauge.

The spark plug of the present invention, is, however, designed to meet adifferent set of conditions than those above outlined and is for use ina combustion chamber which is under depression or"'suction rather thanunder compression and, moreover, a` chamber where a substantiallycontinuous spark is desired rather than the intermittent spark vwhich iseential in the usual combustion chamber. For this purpose, it isdesirable that a long spark be obtained and, therefore, the electrodesare set not less than one eighth of an inchv apart. In view of thisdifference'in the spacing of the electrodes it will be evident that anoperator upon removing the plug would at once decide that the terminalsor electrodes were not properly adusted and would set them nearertogether. n o guard against such tampering and wrong 0 adjustment theelectrodes are made non-adjustable.

The invention has for its object, therefore, to provide a spark plugadapted for use in -a combustion chamber in which the charge is underdepression or suction.

Another object is to provide a spark plug in which the electrodes arenon-adjustable with respect to each other. p

Another object is to provide a spark plug in which the distance betweenthe two electrodes cannot be readily decreased, or, in other words, inwhich the gap cannot be readily shortened.

'Another object is to provide a device so f constructed and arranged inthe combustion vthe movement of the piston in the engine 'illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in A motor is illustrated, the casting 10having chamber that the spark will be formed in the path of the charge`or a substantial distance away' from the point of the spark plug andfrom the walls of the combustionl chamber.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

My improved spark' plug was designed particularly for use in connectionwith -a combustion heater which is utilized for heat'- ing the charge ofgas drawn into the cyl-- inder of ahydrocarbon motor. In this type ofheater the gas is'drawn into the combustion chamber from a suitablesource of supply, the combustion chamber being connected to and providedwith an exit opening leading into the intake passage of a hydrocarbon.motor whereby a suction or depression is `created in the heatercombustion chamber by cylinder. The sparkplugis so constructed andarranged in the combustion chamber that the charge in passing throughthe chamber comes into contact with the spark and is ignited and therebyheats the intake pipe and passing into the intake pipe mixes with thenuxture from the carburetor thereby heating the mixture.

One embodiment 'of the invention has been 85 which: y

Figure 1 is a vertical sectlonal view, 1llustrating my improved sparkplug mounted in a combustion heater, and I Figure 2 is an enlargedsectlonal view, illustrating the details of construction ofthe sparkplug. l o.

Referring to the drawings,`aport1on 10 of the cylinder casting of ahydrocarbon secured thereto an'intake' 4pipe 1-1l to which is secured acarburetor `of any desiredform, the carburetorn not being illustratedsince '1t forms no part of the present invention.

A throttle valve 12 of usual construction is mounted in the intake ipeabove the mlx- A ing chamber of the car uretor, thel Valve beingoperated inthe usual'mannerto control the passage of the mixture throughthe intake plpe to the motor cylinders.

A combustion heater is carried by themtake pipe, this heater comprisinga chamber having a partV 13 formed on the intake pipe and a part 14secured to the part 13 and communicating therewith. The part 14 of 11the .chamber is provided witli an inlet passage which is connected bymeans of a' passage 15 be of less capacity 'than the outinto the conduitor passage 16.

,` for the spark plug is arcuate in form'and its let passage 17 in orderthat the gas may always iow toward the intake ipe, since any movement ofthis gas in t e fopposite direction would tend to cause a back fire Itwill also be noted that a cap 19' is carried by the chamber 13 above theexitfopening 17, this 'cap having a recess therein -and permitting theinsertion ofv a plu 20 in which the exit opening 17 is forme The ignitedmixture in order to pass out of the part 13 of the combustion chamberinto the intake ipe takes a circuitous ath which insures t e completeburning o 1 the gases before they enter the intake pipe. A screen 21 .orsimilar device is provided in the combustion heater for breaking up the'mixture just before it reaches the igniting device. A f

Fromthe above description it will be seen that depression or suction isproduced inthe combustion heater when'` the engine is started, therebysucking a charge of fuel intothe heater, and the ob]ect of the presentinvention, as previously outlined, is to effectively ignite this chargeand to produce a substanilly continuous ame in the heater cham- Ihespark .plu by means of which this object is attaine is illustrated indetail in Fig. 2, and it comprises a base 22 screw threaded into thewall of the combustion' heater and an insulating bushing 23, preferablyformed of porcelain. A conductor 23' 'extends through the porcelain andformed thereon or secured thereto is a centrally disposed electrode 24.The electrode .and conductor are preferably cemented in place inl.

the insulating member, the opposite end of the conductorl being providedwith a thumb screw 25 bymeans of which a wire may be secured thereto. Acap 26 is carried by' the 1 base 22 and secures the insulating bushingf- (23 in place thereon.-- The other electrode 27 ends are secured asshown at 28 to the base -22,'it being' understood that the base 22 is`formed of non-insulating or conducting ma- Aterial and is grounded onthe wall of the combustion heater.`

v The electrode 24 extends a .substantial distance beyond 'the end ofthe insulating member 23' and also be- "y'ndtheA end of the base 22, toinsure the formation ofthe smirk inthe path of heater.

It'should also be particularly noted that the radius -or curvature ofthe arcuate electrode 27 is greater than the length of the electrode 24and that no point on the arcuate electrode 27 is disposed nearer to theybase 29 of the electrode 24 or the point of junction of the electrode24 and the insulating member 23 than the point on electrode 27 locatednearest to the end of electrode 24 or in alinement with said electrode.These conditions may be conveniently met by taking the center ofcurvature vof the arcuate electrode substantially at the juncture of theelebtrode 24 with the insulating dent that no bending of the electrode24 about its base would cause the end of the i electrode to take aposition nearerpany portion of the electrode 27 than the normal distancebetween these two electrodes. This is important since it is desirable tohave a gap of considerable lengthl to form a long spark for igniting thecharge and for this reason it is desirable to guard against anytampering with the electrodes which would tend to shorten the gap.v

In. order to enable the operator to observe the operation of thecombustion heater and the ignition of the mixture passing therethrough.a window 30 is provided opposite 4the spark. l

It is without further statement.

From the above description it will be'seen that `the spark plug isadapted to fulfill the objects of the invention set forth and to,

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz. l 1. Av sparkplug comprising a base` an insulating member carried thereby, a fixedelectrode carried by -said member and projecting therefrom and anarcuate electrode having both endsl viiitedly carried by said base, allpoints on said last named electrode being equally distant from thecenter of the end .of said insulating member.

believed that the operation of thev construction above described will beclear 2; A spark plug having av base and an in# l sulatin'g bushing,afixed electrode carried f by saidbushing and .liavin'ga free end pro-)acting outwardly therefrom, and a lxed arcuate electrode carried bysaid base, the fixed elect-rode carried by said bushing and radius ofcurvature of said arc being greater projecting therefrom, an arcuateelectrode l0 than the length of said first named electrode secured atits ends to said base, all points and the center of curvature being disosed on the arcuate electrode being equally dis- 5 xsubstantially at thepoint of junctlon o said tant from the point of junction of the firstfirst named electrode with the bushing. named electrode and theinsulating bushing. 3. A spark plug comprising a base, an in Intestimony whereof I ax my signature. sulating bushlng carrled by saidbase, a LIONEL M. WOOLSON.

